Sorry Not Sorry - Chocolate Oreo Cheesecake cake

Sorry, I know I'm supposed to be blogging about healthy clean eating and putting up recipes with cakes made from raw kale that taste exactly like kale chocolate.

Y'all have probably made resolutions and I really want to support you in that, fingers crossed that it all works out for you.

But I made a resolution that I thought I had a chance I might keep so it had nothing at all to do with giving up cheesecake, frosting, chocolate and/or peanut butter.

Truthfully I made this cake for Christmas day kinda in rebellion to making pavlova to take to every family event. I mean, I like pavlova as much as the next person but there is only so much you can eat.

So I thought I would like some cheesecake, then I thought, hmmm maybe some chocolate cake would finish it off and I had a bit of peanut butter frosting left over in the fridge so I covered the whole lot in that.

and it came together to make this cake. Seriously cut these slices really, really thin

Chocolate Oreo Cheesecake
makes one tall 6" cake

1 X 6" Oreo Cheesecake no crust (recipe below)
2 X 6" chocolate cake (recipe below)
Chocolate ganache set to spreading consistency
Peanut frosting
Optional - a few meringues, Oreos, chopped peanuts

Place 1 of the chocolate cakes onto a cake board or your cake stand, cover the top with a layer of chocolate ganache and pop the cheesecake onto the top of the cake pressing down lightly. Place in fridge to set.

Remove from fridge, cover top of cheesecake with a layer of chocolate ganache and then place the other chocolate cake onto the cheesecake, press down lightly.

Cover sides and top of cake with a thin layer of chocolate ganache and then chill in fridge until set. .

When set remove from fridge and cover whole cake with a layer of peanut frosting, return to fridge to set.

Gently heat ganache until it becomes just pour-able and top cake with a layer of ganache allowing a little to spill over the edges. Retain any extra ganache to heat and use as a sauce for serving

Decorate top as desired, I added some meringue, Oreo's and chopped peanut, although if you have extra peanut frosting some swirls of frosting with mini Oreo's would be cute.

Oreo Cheesecake

500g (17 3/4oz - if you round up to 18 oz it will be ok) cream cheese (full fat)
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg plus 1 egg white
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tsp plain flour (1 US Tbsp all purpose flour)
14 Oreo Cookies (whole or broken - I used whole)

Preheat oven to 160C

Grease and line a 6" tin with baking paper.

Beat cream cheese and sugar together until smooth. Add egg and egg white, lemon juice, vanilla and flour, beat until just combined.

Pour half mixture into prepared tin, press half Oreos into mixture, pour half of the remaining mixture in and top with remaining Oreos, then the rest of the cheesecake mixture.

Bake in preheated oven for around 40 minutes or until the center is just set.

Allow to cool in tin for 15 minutes. Run a plastic knife around the edge of the cake to loosen sides and then carefully tip out cake onto a cake board to cool.

Chocolate Cake

1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 tsp bicarb soda  (baking soda)
1/4 baking powder
pinch salt
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup hot water
1/2 cup cool water
115 g unsalted butter (4 oz butter) room temperature cut into small squares
1 1/4 cup caster sugar (superfine) use regular white sugar if caster sugar not available
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 160 C fan forced (325 F) and grease flour and line 2 X 6" tins with baking paper.

Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Mix the hot water and cocoa to make a paste then add the cool water mix until well combined, set aside.

In a large bowl of a stand mixer mix together butter and sugar at high speed until well creamed (about 2-3 mins).

Reduce speed to low and mix in eggs then vanilla mixing until well combined.

Add 1/3 of the flour, mix until just combined then add 1/2 the cocoa mixture, mix again until combined and scrape down sides. Add another 1/3rd of the flour, mix, add the remainder of the cocoa mix and scrape down sides then add the final flour and mix until completely combined.

Divide mixture evenly between the 2 X 6" tins and bake for 30 - 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the cake comes out clean.

Allow to cool in tin for 5 minutes then carefully turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Peanut Frosting

1/2 cup icing sugar (confectioners)
1/2 cup peanut butter
50 g (1 3/4oz) unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 to 3 Tbsp milk

Mix sugar, peanut butter, butter and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add milk to make frosting to a spreadable consistency (in hot weather less milk will be required)

Chocolate Ganache

500 g (17 3/4oz - if you round up to 18 oz it will be ok) dark chocolate
175 g ( 6 1/8 oz) cream*

Place chocolate and cream in microwave safe bowl and heat at high heat for 2 minutes. Allow to sit for a minute and then whisk until smooth. Cover bowl and allow to set to desired consistency.

*I made this in summer in cool weather use 250g cream.

Linda Vandermeer is a blogger, baker, maker and author of the cookbook ' Sweets on a Stick': More than 150 kid friendly recipes for cakes, candies, cookies and pies on the go!. Published in the US the book is available at most online book stores.

Affiliate links may earn me money and contribute to supporting this blog.

Original Ideas, photography and recipes by Linda Vandermeer do not reuse without permission. 

Best of Bubble and Sweet 2012

Thanks everyone for joining me in a fabulous year of baking. I hope you had as much fun reading along as I did creating and sharing my baking journey throughout the year.

I have alot planned for 2013. Remember, you can follow this blog and receive free email updates by entering your details over in the top right hand corner.

For the final post I have compiled a best of Bubble and Sweet.

Best Cakes 2012:

This year ruffles ruled supreme in the big cake stakes. Colorful rainbows and ombre (gradient shades) decorations were just a taste of what was inside with surprising matching or contrasting hues.

Just in time for Halloween and a bit outside of the Bubble and Sweet box was the Monkey Brain cake with jello brain and raspberry sauce. It was gruesomely delicious.

1.How to eat a Tiara Ruffled Princess Cake (photo by Alyce and Colette)
2.Monkey Brain Cake with Jello Brain
3. Pastel Rainbow Ruffle cake
4. Sweet Birdie Ruffle Birdhouse

Other favorite cakes: 

Other favorite cakes included this streamlined ruffle and hand painted aqua wedding cake inspired by a vintage wedding dress with hand painting, a fun candy inspired Christmas cake with gluten free cranberry cake filling, and a fun Ant Picnic cake.

1. A Vintage dress inspired wedding cake
2. Lollipop and candy Christmas tree cake
3. Ant picnic in the park

Best Party Tables 2012:

Fun and fabulous party tables for 2012 included a dreamily pretty shabby chic pink and gold princess party with ruffles and bows, a rustic pie table with a fabulous paper pom backdrop by Ah-Tissue and a sweet as can be bird theme party table.

1. Shabby Chic Princess Party (Photography by Alyce and Colette)
2. Oh Sweet Mum Pie Table (Photography by Naomi V Photography)
3. Sophie's Sweet Birdie Birthday party

Best Cookies 2012:

Quirky ant cookies, a cute scary set of babushka halloween cookies, the sweetest teal, pink and white reindeer cookies and valentine inspired bird cookies were my favorite cookies for 2012.

1. Ant picnic in the park cookies
2. Babushka Munchy Mummy, Evil Ghost and Screaming Ghoul Cookies
3. Sweetest Thing Reindeer Cookies
4. Are You Thinking What I'm Thinking cookies

Best Cheesecakes 2012:

I love cheesecake and hopefully you can share in my love after some of the recipes on the blog this year. Pretty strawberries and cream cheesecake in a jar, photographed in my front garden, delicious mini nutella cheesecakes combining a few of my favorite things and decadent peanut butter and s'mores cheesecakes were among the recipes I shared. I had almost as much fun naming them as eating them. Almost.

1. Strawberry and Cream Cheesecakes in a Jar
2. These are a few of my favorite things Nutella Cheesecakes
3. Totally tastes better than thin - Smores cheesecake
4. If this is wrong I don't want to be right Chocolate Peanut Butter mini Cheesecake

Best Sweets on a Stick 2012 (includes best cake pops 2012)

Sweets on a Stick - it's the name of my book and something I think I do pretty well here at Bubble and Sweet. Macarons in divine hues decorated like lollipops and on top of cake pops were a couple of my favorites. A planter box of cake pops and cookies made using the instructions from my book in pastel hues for a party table was loved by all.

1. Lollipop Macarons
2.Macaron cake pops
3.Cute bird cake pops, flower cookies and cloud in the sky cookies (recipes from Sweets on a Stick)

4.Pot of gold at the end of the rainbow cakepops

Best small cakes 2012 (Includes Best Cupcakes 2012):

Did I go overboard with the mini macarons? - I don't think so. Who could resist the delicious chocolate hazelnut cakes topped with raspberries and mini gold macs or piped butter cream rose topped strawberry cake with delicate pink mini mac? Spiced pear cupcakes were a hit for those looking for something simple. High maintenance decorators preferred high heel shoe cupcakes.

1. Chocolate Hazelnut cakes with French Buttercream (Gluten Free)
2. High heel Shoe cupcakes - high maintenance decorating
3. Pink rose and macaron shabby chic petit fours
4. Spiced pear cupcakes with caramel cream cheese frosting

Best treats 2012 (misc)

Easy to make army of ghost Oreo truffles was the surprise hit of the year being the second most popular post on the whole blog. More mini macs topped other delicious treats including the fun mini pumpkin chiffon pies with pecan pie bites and the milk chocolate mousse pies (which would have to be one of my favorite pictures ever - thank you Naomi V Photography). Peppermint cookie fudge proved to be a fast, easy and delicious treat to share.

1. Army of Ghosts Oreo Truffles
2.Chocolate Cream Mousse Pie (sorry no recipe provided) (Photo by Naomi V Photography)
3. Pumpkin Chiffon Pies  (photo by Naomi V Photography)
4. Peppermint Cookie Fudge

Favorite new product 2012

My favorite new find during 2012 would have to be the edible jelly gems. I mostly used them in cookies but found that with not much work they could dress up anything turning simple marshmallows into a treat fit for a princess.

1. Elegant Ornament Cookies
2. Jewelled Marshmallows
3. How to eat a Tiara   (Photography by Alyce and Colette)
 4. Princess Cookies


Other highlights:

Cake pop and cookie demonstrations at the Bleeding Heart Cafe in Brisbane proved to be even more fun than I thought they would be. The best part was meeting people who read my blog on a regular basis. Another class is being planned for April 2013.

Recipes I created were included in Tickle the Imagination magazine, online and print version, and Peekaboo magazine. Many online newspapers and magazines linked back to my popular posts, and of course many blogger friends linked back to Bubble and Sweet as well.

The absolute best bit

...and the best part of 2012 from a Bubble and Sweet perspective was all the fabulous interaction on the blog, on instagram, on pintrest and on facebook. Truly I still get excited when I receive lovely feedback - it's what keeps me going.

Thank you everyone again for reading the blog and sharing my baking journey.

You helped make my year one of the best yet :)

....................

Unless stated otherwise recipes, photos and posts by Linda Vandermeer author of Sweets on a Stick: More than 150 Kid Friendly recipes for cakes, candies, cookies and pies on the go. You can pick it up at all good online book shops including these shops:

Or here at fishpond (Aus/NZ)

Totally tastes better than thin s'more cheesecakes

So a while back I noticed the local supermarkets all stopped selling the chocolates I like to eat.

Like some type of chocolate deprivation conspiracy, they slowly started disappearing off the shelves.

I know y'all are saying with the amount of stuff I bake what are you even doing buying chocolates. But that is beside the point.

I told my friend expecting her to be full of sympathy. "I know" she said in a consoling voice, the shop I used to buy the chocolates I like from stopped selling them and now I have to buy them at a different supermarket and they cost a dollar more.

That is totally NOT the same, having to pay a dollar more compared to NEVER again having your favorite chocolate.....

Not even close to the same :)

Anyway......lacking consolation from my friend I turned to these s'more cheesecakes.

* In the interest of being honest and responsible lots of things taste better than thin, but in our household we mostly eat a healthy diet with lots of vegetables, fruit, dairy etc to balance out the sweet treats I make. The kids also have an active lifestyle with many activities including swimming, tennis, dancing and basketball.

They actually taste better than my favorite chocolates, but sadly they do not come individually wrapped already made.

In Australia S'mores are not really well known. Probably because we do not have graham crackers readily available which is one of many life mysteries I have never really understood.

Anyway luckily if you can not find graham crakers you can whip up your own pretty easily. CLICK HERE for a link to Martha Stewart's graham cracker recipe. I actually used my own recipe which is not listed below and cut them quite thin so they were like delicious little spoons.

Oh and there is a happy ending to the chocolate story, I found a shop not far from my house that sells the chocolates I love. I'm a regular shopper there now.

I picked my mini glass pot's up at Sharnel Dollar Designs, but they do not have them presently. Try Sweet Style CLICK HERE.

Tastes Better than Thin S'more Cheesecakes (makes 14 using small jar)
Imperial conversions approximate

625g (21oz) cream cheese at room temperature
1 x 395g (14oz) tin sweetened condensed milk
3 large eggs at room temperature
300g  (10 1/2 oz) milk chocolate melted and cooled to room temperature
100g (3 1/2 oz) dark chocolate
80g (2 7/8 oz) cream
4 egg whites
260g (9 oz)caster (superfine) sugar
Graham Crackers to serve

Preheat oven to 140C (285 F)

In a large bowl beat the cream cheese using an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. If the cream cheese is still lumpy it will show up later when you mix in the chocolate, so take the time now to make sure it is mixed well. Add the condensed milk and mix until well combined. Reduce speed to low and add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until just combined.

Add the chocolate and mix at low speed until combined.

Spoon or pipe mixture into jars.

I baked my cakes in a tin which I poured boiling water into. It results in the cheesecake texture being a bit creamier. You can either do as I did and use the hot water/baking tin method, or bake the cheesecake jars directly on a baking tray.

Alternatively you can bake the cheesecake mixture in muffin tins lined with paper cases.

Bake for around 15-17minutes.

Melt the dark chocolate with the cream in the microwave at medium low heat for bursts of 45 seconds until it is smooth.

Divide the mixture between the cheesecakes spooning into the top of the jars.

(If you are making the cheesecakes in muffin cases instead of jars just reserve the chocolate sauce to pour over cakes when serving)

Make the marshmallow frosting.

Pop the egg whites and sugar into a large clean metal bowl from a stand mixer and stir together until just mixed, the sugar will start to melt into the whites.

Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water until the mixture reaches 60C ( 140F) making sure to stir frequently to stop the egg whites from cooking.

Place the bowl back on the mixer and beat on high speed until the meringue is thick and glossy and forms stiff peaks.

Spoon or pipe the marshmallow frosting onto the top of the cheesecakes and place into the grill to toast. Be careful to ensure the tips do not catch fire. It's a good idea to check where the heating elements are and make sure the frosting is not directly below them.

Of course if you have a little kitchen torch you can use that to toast all around the marshmallow frosting.

Serve with graham crackers.

Recipe by Linda Vandermeer

Linda Vandermeer is a mum, wife, blogger and author of the cookbook ' Sweets on a Stick': More than 150 kid friendly recipes for cakes, candies, cookies and pies on the go!. Published in the US the book is available at most online book stores:

Or here at fishpond (Aus/NZ)

Strawberry and Cream Cheesecakes in a Jar

Strawberries are so plentiful and cheap around here at the moment and everyone has those buy 3 punnets for $5 deals so our fridge is full of them.

That is not a complaint.

I love fruit. Mostly we just wash and eat it fresh here.

Seriously I did not fish around to find these strawberries, they were the top 2 in the punnet.

But I couldn't resist making up these strawberry and cream cheesecakes in a jar. The great thing about making cheesecakes in a jar, apart from y'know obviously they look lovely, is that you can spoon on heaps of strawberries and puree some up as sauce and it stays put as you scoop around eating.

If it doesn't happen to be strawberry season for you at the moment - just pop any fresh fruit in the top and it will be just as awesomely delicious.

I have used recycled jam jars, which actually took me a while to collect up, but you can use whatever you may have sitting around. In the past I found drinking glasses or even clean unused glass tea light holders from Ikea work.

Oh and if your a bit of a fan of upcycling and recycling you should check out the latest edition of 'Tickle the Imagination' online magazine.

I have a super yummy recipe for Blueberry jarcakes with cream cheese frosting in the lasted edition.

......hmmmm that styling looks familiar. Nope I didn't do it the same day (I don't have that many jars), although it was about a week apart. I needed to use the jars quick as my friend was collecting used jars to use at a party as drink glasses. Yup another fab recycling idea right there.

This photo is really Bubble and (a) Sweet

Now if only I could come up with an idea for recyling all those plastic fruit punnets I would be set.

and YAY for Bubble and Sweet, we were featured as one of Parenting.com's fav Halloween pintrest ideas for my Double Trouble Witch Brew Cauldron Cake pops. Thanks Parenting.com you can check out all their other creepily delicious favorites HERE.

anyway shameless self promotion over.....back to the cheesecakes.

Strawberries and Cream Cheesecakes in a Jar makes 6
You will need 6 clean 250ml jam jars or similar. If you do not have jars available you can use cupcake papers and bake in a muffin tray. Imperial conversion is approximate.

500g (17oz) cream cheese at room temperature
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 egg at room temperature
1/4 cup cream
1 tsp vanilla
1 250g (8 1/2 oz) punnet strawberries
Extra whipped cream for serving

Preheat oven to 140 C (280 F).

Beat the cream cheese and sugar using a mixer at medium speed until smooth and lump free, add the cream and mix until combined.

Reduce speed to low and add the eggs and vanilla and mix until just combined.

Spoon mixture into jars, place on a tray and pop in the oven.

Bake for 25 minutes.

Allow to cool to room temperature and the pop into the fridge to chill for a couple of hours.

Just prior to serving puree about half the strawberries. Chop the remaining strawberries into small pieces. Evenly divide the strawberries and puree between the jars. Top with some whipped cream, decorate with sprinkles if desired and serve with a spoon.

These are a few of my favorite things Cheesecakes - Mini Chocolate Cheesecakes with Nutella

Sometimes in baking things don't work out exactly as you plan them.

These mini cheesecakes are one of those things.

The plan was pretty good as plans go Nutella, Cheesecake, Chocolate and Oreo's, combining a few of my favorite things had to work out well.

So I made up a recipe, mixed, baked, swirled on some topping, took some pictures, tasted them.......

......and not quite what I was hoping for, the chocolate overpowers the Nutella resulting in a finished treat that is deliciously chocolatey but lacks a strong hazelnut component.

But they were pretty yummy, so although they were not what I was expecting I think they are still worth sharing.

I'm back to the drawing board on my Nutella cheesecakes, but in the meantime at least I had these not quite nutella ones to console myself with.

Chocolate Mini Baked Cheesecakes made with Nutella makes 18 large muffin sized cheesecakes. If you are making smaller sized cakes you will need more Oreos

625g (21oz) cream cheese at room temperature
1 X 395g (14oz) tin sweetened condensed milk
3 large eggs at room temperature
300g (10 1/2 oz) nutella
1/4 cup cocoa
18 Oreos

Preheat oven to 140C (285 F)

Line the muffin tins with the muffin/cupcake papers. Place one single oreo in the bottom of each muffin paper.

In a small bowl mix the cocoa with about 1/4 cup of the nutella to make a smooth paste.

In a large bowl beat the cream cheese using an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. If the cream cheese is still lumpy it will show up later when you mix in the chocolate, so take the time now to make sure it is mixed well. Add the condensed milk and mix until well combined. Reduce speed to low and add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until just combined.

Add the Nutella and cocoa paste and continue to mix at low speed until combined.

Spoon the mixture into the muffin papers dividing mixture evenly between the papers.

Bake until the mixture is just setting in the center, around 15- 20 minutes. The center will stop looking wet and will no longer wobble when you gently shake the tray when ready.

Allow to cool in the trays for 10-15min and then pop in an airtight container in the fridge until chilled.

Once chilled top with a swirl of the dark chocolate topping recipe below.

 Keep in airtight container up to 3 days in fridge.

Dark Chocolate Topping

200g (7 oz)Dark Chocolate
60g  (2oz) cream*
100 g (3 1/2 oz) Nutella
50 g (1 3/4 oz) Nutella extra
50g (1 3/4oz) unsalted butter *

In a microwave safe bowl melt the chocolate and cream at medium low heat at bursts of 60-90 seconds, mixing with a whisk in between bursts until just melted. Do not overheat the chocolate. Gently whisk in the 100 g Nutella without over mixing or the mixture may separate.

Cool to room temperature and place in a large bowl, mix at high speed for a couple of minutes until the mixture lightens a little in color. Add the extra 50g Nutella and room temperature butter and continue to mix until the mixture is smooth and light.

*If the weather is quite cold you may wish to increase the cream and butter ingredients to make the topping a little softer and easier to pipe.

If this is wrong I don't want to be right chocolate peanut butter baked cheesecakes

Peanut Butter. Chocolate. Cheesecake. Oreo.

It sounds so wrong, but it tastes sooooo right.

I'm continuing on with my mini Cheesecake love with a super rich version which is based on one of my favorite flavor combinations....peanut butter and chocolate.

At first I thought I might just pop a whole Peanut Butter Cup into the cheesecake on top of the Oreo, y'know make it super easy, and if you look carefully at the picture below you can see that is exactly what I did to the one on the left side - see the little layer of chocolate in between the peanut and cheesecake. But for my tastes I found that section of the cheesecake a little crumbly and dry, don't get me wrong it was good, but not quite what I was hoping for. So I did a google search around and found this cheat recipe and decided to modify it a bit for use in the cheesecake.

Not only is the filling creamier - it's more cost effective plus I could make it a bit smaller than the shop bought one so I got a little bit more cheesecake in.

Soooooo Right.

(.......also just in case you missed my previous post I would like to clarify mostly for Mr Sweet's sake that the statement in the photo is not true - I pretty much always want to be right.)

Peanut Butter Baked Cheesecake

makes 14 large Texas muffin sized cheesecakes. For the pictures I poured over some melted chocolate peanut ganache and added chopped mini Reece's Peanut Butter Cups.

Peanut Butter Filling

3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
3/4 cup icing sugar (powdered sugar) sifted
2tbsp + 1 tsp unsalted butter or 45g (3 US Tbsp or 1 1/2 oz)
pinch salt

Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix until combined. If it's a very hot day you may like to place the 7oz that will be used in the cheesecakes in the fridge to make it easier to handle.

Cheesecake

14 Oreo Cookies
7oz of the Peanut Butter Filling (see recipe above)
625g (21oz) cream cheese at room temperature
1 tin condensed milk
3 large eggs at room temperature
14 large muffin papers (I bought these ones from woolies)


Preheat oven to 140C (280 F)

Line the muffin tins with the muffin/cupcake papers. Place one single oreo in the bottom of each paper.

Top each Oreo with 3 tsp (1 US Tbsp) of peanut butter mixture and press down onto the top of the Oreo cookie.

In a large bowl beat the cream cheese using a mixer at medium speed until just smooth, add the condensed milk and mix until combined. Reduce speed to low and add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until just combined.

Spoon the mixture into the large muffin papers dividing mixture evenly between the papers using a scant 1/3 cup to each to make 14.

Place the tray into the oven and bake until the mixture is just setting in the center, around 16- 20 mins

Allow to cool in the trays for 10-15min and then pop in an airtight container in the fridge until chilled.

Top each cheesecake with a swirl of Peanut Chocolate Ganache (recipe follows).

Peanut Chocolate Ganache

4oz Dark or Semi Sweet Chocolate 
1 oz cream

4 oz Peanut Butter Filling

20g (3/4 oz) unsalted butter at room temperature

Chop the chocolate into fine pieces. Place in a microwave safe bowl with the cream and heat in the microwave at medium low heat for 1 minute bursts until melted. Make sure you do not overheat the chocolate. 

Cover and allow to set at room temperature until firm.

Beat the chocolate mixture on high for a couple of minutes until it lightens in color. Add the Peanut Butter Filling and mix well at medium speed, add the butter and continue to beat at medium speed until the mixture comes together, do not over mix.